Mantel.



Patented June 26, |900."v

T. J. COX.

M A N T E L (Application led Mar. 7, 1899.\

(No Model.)

Artnr prima.

THOMAS J. cox, or eAINEsvILL, TnxAs.

MANTEL.

slenorncarronforming part of Letters Patent No. 652,509, dated .rune 26,1900. Application filed March 7, 1899. 'Serial No; 708,140. (No model.)

T all whom, it 'may concern,.-

Be it known that 1, THoMAs J. COX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gainesville, in the county of Cooke and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mantels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

This invention relates to mantels for fireplaces, and is designed to combine therewith means for preventing fire from sparks iiying into the :room when no occupant is present and on the alert to extinguish them and for closing the fireplace in summer or when noy fire is required, thereby shutting off draft and adding to the appearance of the mantel. The fire boards or guards are slidable later- .ally across the fireplace from behind the legs l or side pieces of the mantel, and whenpushed aside are concealed from view, the projecting edge portions forming a nish, presentingahandhold,andlimiting the inward mov'ements of the guards. T liese guards may be mounted in any desired manner and may be single or sectional. e

The invention, besides guarding against fire and adding to the appearance of the mantel, is possessed of other advantages and merits which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention in its application is susceptible of many changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings, which are illustrative of the invention and show an embodiment thereof, Figure 1 is a front view. e-Fig. 2 is a rear view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line X X of Fig. 1 looking to the right, as indicated by the arrow, the lower portion of the guard being broken away. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section on the line Y Y of Fig. 1, the dotted lines indicating the position of the guards when drawn out. Fig. AV5 is adetail View showing a modified form of guard.

Fig. 6 shows adifferent manner of mounting the guard. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the upper portion of a guard and the track therefor on a larger scale. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section of the lower portion of a guard,

the retaining-plate therefor, and aleg of the mantel. v

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. 1 A,

The mantel may be of any design, finish, or material, and comprises the shelf 1, legs 2, headboard 3, and Spann er 4, the latter bracing the shelf. e f f The fire board or guard is composed of two' parts 11, similarly constructed and mounted, each partrsliding behind a leg 2 of the mantel and hidden and protected thereby. The precise manner of mounting the parts of the guard is unimportant so long as they have a free sliding movement laterally across the `fireplace. The parts 11 are sheet metal and their inner vertical edges are formed into a roll 12 or otherwise bent to engage with the inner edges of the legs and limit the movement ofthe parts when drawn aside or pushed outward. These bent edges 12 add materially tothe appearance ofv the mantel, constitute stops, and provide handholdsto be grasped when operating the guard. The parts may `besingle or sectional, according to lthe width of the fireplace, thereby enabling them to slide whollybehindthelegs 2. For wideire- .gage with the bent edge 14 of the next section and cause it to move Outward with the said first section in the continued movement thereof. When the extensions are drawn out or extended, the interlocking bent-edge portions 14 prevent lateral displacement and the formation of spaces between the overlapping parts. -Moreoven the bending of the edges 14 reinforces them and prevents Ain a great measure buckling and warping. A plate ;15 is secured to the rear side and lower-edge portion of the headboard, and its. lower edge portion is rolled, as shown at 16, to correspond with the rolled edges 12 of the iireboard. The upper edge of the plate is curved at 17 and recurved at 18, forming a track upon which the iireboard slides. The upper edge of the parts 11 is curved, as at 21, to extend over and em- IOO brace the track or recurved edge portion 18 of the plate 15, thereby preventing the lifting of the fireboard after the parts have been properly assembled. A plate 19 is attached to the lower end of each leg 2, and the parts 11 slide between it and the legs. It is obvious that the parts 15 and 19 may be reversed. In order to reduce the friction of the parts 11, rollers, as at 20, may be applied to the curved edge 21. (See Fig. 6.) Other rollers 22 are applied to the lower edge of the fireboard and run upon a track 23 extending over the hearth. These rollers 22 are located wholl)T in the rear of the fireboard and are concealed from View. One or the other set of rollers may be dispensed with or both may be used simultaneously.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the ireboard may be mounted in a variety of ways or be composed of single or sectional parts. The closing of the lireboard prevents sparks fiying into the room and setting iire thereto when no one is present. Stops 2a project from the plate 15 and limit the movement of the parts 11 when drawn across the fireplace. The tireboard also modifies the effective radiation of heat into the room by having its parts `separated more or less and provides a means for regulating the draft to cause the fire to burn slowly or briskly, and when closed in warm weather shuts off the fireplace and prevents drafts therethrough.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a mantel, a fireboard slidable across the fireplace and behind the legs, and having its outer vertical edges rolled to give a finish v to the mantel, provide handhelds and form stops, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mantel, a fireboard slidable across the fireplace and behind the legs and composed of independent slidable sections, the outer edge of the inner section being bent,

and the inner edge of the outer section being reversely bent to and adapted to interlock vwith the said bent edge of the inner section, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a mantel, a reboard slidable across the fireplace and behind the legs, and having its outer edges rolled, and a plate secured to the headboard and having its lower edge rolled t0 correspond with the rolled edges of the fireboard, substantially as set forth.

4. In a mantel, a plate extending across the fireplace and having a longitudinal edge portion curved and recurved to form a guideway, and a guard slidable across the fireplace and having an edge portion curved to embrace the recurved edge portion of the aforesaid plate, substantially as set forth.

l5. In combination, a mantel, a plate eX- tending across the fireplace and having an edge portion bent forming a guideway,a guard slidable across the fireplace and having an edge portion bent to interlock with the bentedge portion of' the said plate, and a retainerplate spaced from the mantel and overlapping the opposite edge portion of the guard and coperating with the aforesaid guideway to hold the guard in place in any adjusted position, substantially as described. y

6. In a mantel, a plate attached to the rear side of the headboard and extending across the fireplace and having its top edge bent to form a guideway and the intermediate portion of its lower edge formed into a roll extending beneath the lower edge of the headboard and between the legs of the mantel,

and a guard slidable across the fireplace from behind a leg of the mantel and having its outer vertical edge formed into a roll with its upper end abutting against the horizontal roll of the said plate, the guard having `its v,upper portion extending beyond the upper THOMAS J. COX. [L s] lVitnesses:

J. E. HAYWORTH, W. H. BROWN. 

